n12.pdf - Mazingira Institute

NEFSALF Bulletin December 2008 1

Newcomers to agriculture in urban and peri-urban environs

A group of men, women and youth are the new

comers to agriculture in urban and peri-urban

environs of Nairobi. They are the members of

Muungano Maendeleo. It was founded in 2006 as a hu-

man development organization, based on a model devel-

oped by Mazingira Institute. The model advances hu-

man capabilities, human rights of disadvantaged people

and their active participation in the social process.

Muungano Maendeleo consists of about three hundred

members and with their households, the organization

constitutes a community of around twelve hundred

people, spread out in the disadvantaged areas of Nairobi

and environs. It is an organized group with a charter and

a board, which convenes as required.

Mazingira Institute through NEFSALF proposed to

Muungano Maendeleo to try out agriculture as a means

to improve the well-being and income of its members

through food production for subsistence and cash.

A three step process was developed to determine the

feasibility and the acceptance of the idea by Muungano

Maendeleo members. The Þ rst step comprised identiÞ -

cation interested and willing members – youth, women

and men. The second step involved site visits to expose

the members to the farming and livestock activities of

the farmers’ network of NEFSALF. The third step en-

tailed provision of training on elementary agriculture in

urban and peri-urban environs (UPEs) to the selected

members who demonstrated interest and engagement in

agricultural activities.

Step 1: Identification of membersSeven Board members were asked to each recruit a

youth, who is a member to participate in the process.

Eight youth–4 male and 4 female were recruited. They

were later asked to recruit male and female who are not

youth and 11 more were recruited. In total, 26 members

participated in the process–15 female and 11 male. They

emanated form Nairobi (Makadara, Starehe, Dagoretti,

Kasarani, Embakasi) constituencies and Athi River.

They were divided into three main groups--youth, wom-

en and men.

Step 2: Exposure visitsThe site visits were to a farm located within the City of

Nairobi. They took place between January and March

Newcomers to agriculture in urban and peri-urban environs

2009, starting with the youth, then women and lastly

the men. The visits were to Francis Wachira’s farm, a

member of NEFSALF Farmers Network. He lives in

Makadara in the eastern part of Nairobi, just a few ki-

lometers from the city centre. He occupies a house on

a plot less than 1/8 of an acre. On the the plot, he rears

over 500 rabbits, chicken and grows a variety of both

exotic and indigenous vegetable as well as fruits and

medicinal trees.

The members for the Þ rst time had direct exposure to

the opportunities available and the capabilities required

to realise the beneÞ ts of urban agriculture in terms of

securing food for themselves and some income.

Wachira who received training at Mazingira Institute

now conducts trainning and demonstrations himself. He

specializes in rabbit keeping and organic farming. He

has put up a classroom on his plot to handle the fre-

quent visitors interested in learning from his successful

enterprise. He instructs and provides demonstrations on

a variety of topics such as:

• Vegetables and their nutritional value.

• Multistorey gardening.

• Farm planning.

• Organic farming.

• Use of compost and composting.

• Rabbit keeping.

• Poultry keeping

He favours ‘learning by doing’ through practical dem-

onstrations, so that those interested get hands on experi-

ence.

Wachira conducted separate one day introductory ses-

sions for the youth, women and men respectively from

Muungano Maendeleo. They were Þ rst introduced to

crop husbandry, then treated to lunch comprising a dish

of rabbit meat and green vegetables, all from the farm.

Next, they were introduced to animal husbandry. The

day ended with an open discussion. Many of the mem-

bers surprisingly confessed that the rabbit dish was tast-

ier than the commonly consumed red and white meat.

They were also amazed that a kitchen garden can pro-

duce vegetables for daily household consumption.

Rabbits

Breeds and Breeding: The members were enlightened

on the inbreeding concepts. DeÞ nition of inbreeding,

effects on the quality of rabbits and how to improve

breeds through proper breeding of rabbits, as well as in

Members of Muungano Maendeleo, Mazingira Institute staff members and the guest of honour after completion of the

elementary training course. The vegetables are a by-product of the group’s orientation to urban farming.

NEFSALF Bulletin August 2009 1

Continued on pg. 2

Issue No. 12 August 2009

Ph

oto

s: M

azi

ng

ira

Inst

itu

te

NEFSALF Bulletin December 20082

other livestock.

Housing: The groups were taken through a properly

constructed rabbit cage putting into consideration secu-

rity, predators, weather effects, size and breeding.

Feeds and feeding: Were presented with different rabbit

feeds (plants, pellets and water). To avoid wetness and

dampness in the rabbit cage, they should only be fed with

dry matter. Plants and vegetable feeds for example should

be chopped and spread to drain long before feeding.

Products: Rabbits are mainly reared for meat and others

exclusively for hides. Those who are aware of the nutri-

tional value of rabbit meat would not settle for anything

less. More people are becoming aware of the fact by

day and hotels are slowly including rabbit in their menu.

Hides are exclusively for export for manufacturing Þ ne

wares. There is also the beneÞ t of rabbit manure which

is very rich in nutrients that keep away pests and diseas-

es. Wachira practices organic farming and claims that

the manure has really boosted this initiative. His ever

green farm, even during the dry spell is a true testimony

of the wonders of rabbit manure.

Advantages of rabbit keeping

- The breeding rate is high, thus a high turn over in a

short while.

- Less feed is consumed as compared to other livestock

such as goat, cattle.

- The farming takes up minimal space as compared to

other bigger livestock.

Poultry

The groups were taken through the following topical is-

sues on poultry farming:

Indigenous breeds – the local breeds that are resistant to

harsh weather and diseases.

Breeding – emphasized on the importance of cross breed-

ing in order to improve quality of products. Inbreeding

should be prevented at all costs as it affects the quality

of birds and their products.

Feeds and feeding – proper feeding mechanisms including

the type and quality of feeds to each age group of poultry

based on the intended use (chicks, layers, broilers).

Housing structure – it should provide safety from preda-

tors and harsh weather. Ensure it is away from the direc-

tion of wind to prevent spread of airborne diseases.

Products – mainly for eggs, meat and manure production.

Guest speakers

For each of the three groups, a guest speaker from the

NEFSALF forum was invited to share their experiences

in urban and peri-urban practices. The idea was to give

encouragement to the members and make them realize

that there is hope since others from their similar back-

ground have already ventured into UPEs activities and

made tremendous progress.

During the youth group visit, Ken Okal was invited to

share his experience in managing a youth group, garbage

collection as well as waste recycling. He is the founded

and chairperson of Vijna youth group, Umoja estate in

Nairobi. The group has various income generating ac-

tivities within its neighbourhood such as garbage collec-

tion, making Þ re briquettes and house cleaning services.

Ken inspired the youth on group dynamics and the ad-

vantages of working in groups so as to attract funding

opportunities as well as pulling human resources to-

gether within the membership. He also introduced Þ re

briquettes, one of the group’s product. These are energy

saving burning substance made from bio-degradable

waste materials such as paper, dry leaves, maize cobs,

charcoal dust etc.

The group collects waste from estates around Umoja es-

tate in Nairobi at a cost in collaboration with the City

Council of Nairobi. They also have common interest

groups within the larger group, who have taken up on

different income generating activities. He urged the

youth not to sit and wait for white collar jobs but in-

stead reach out to numerous opportunities which remain

unexploited, especially within the informal sector. He

retaliated that after undertaking a course at Mazingira,

he looks at everything as a potential opportunity.

During the women session, Esther Njoki Maina was the

guest speaker. She too is a member of NEFSALF forum

and has initiated numerous projects after the training in-

cluding mushroom farming, rabbit keeping, dairy goats,

kitchen gardening (Multistorey and starecase garden-

ing) and peanut processing (butter, powder and crunch).

She is the chairperson of a women’s group and has

outstanding leadership qualities. She lives and farms at

Utawala in Nairobi.

Esther was a good source of inspiration to the women as

she took them through group dynamics. How to form,

organize and manage groups as well as to multi task in

order to maximize proÞ ts. She introduced her peanut

processing initiative and gave the group a taste of her

products. The women were challenged and took this as

a wake up call.

For the men’s group, Charles Onyando was the guest

speaker. He too is a member of the NEFSALF forum

and has participated in past trainings. He specializes in

making Þ re briquettes from waste materials (charcoal

dust, dry leaves, corn cobs, papers). This means he is

directly involved in solid waste recycling as a means

of cleaning and conserving the environment by pro-

viding an alternative fuel to ordinary charcoal. He has

also designed a pressing machine used in making the

Þ re briquettes, special jikos for the briquettes and a pa-

per shredding machine. He has trained numerous youth

groups on briquette making as well as selling the ma-

chines to the same groups of trainees.

Follow-up

After each of the three visits, each group together with

the Board convened at Mazingira Institute for a follow-

up meeting. This granted members the opportunity to

review the visits by sharing foreseen challenges and

possible solutions. Members also had a chance to share

the farming activity they were mostly interested in.

Majority were impressed with the multistorey garden-

ing, of which a few had already initiated by the time

of the follow-up meetings, which were held just a few

days after the visits.

Lack of space was a major challenge to majority of the

members who rent minimal space in the informal settle-

ments in and around Nairobi. Some solutions were how-

ever offered for this problem:

1. Making use of available public space around one’s

neighborhood.

2. Introducing the farming idea to public institutions like

local administration (Chief’s camp, DO or DC ofÞ c-

es), schools and hospitals. The chairperson, Kilonzo

Mackenzi, introduced the idea to the school where

his children goes to school and initiated establish-

ment of a kitchen garden at the school.

3. The other option was for members to consider mov-

ing to houses with space for farming practices. It was

agreed that the newly acquired knowledge should de-

termine where one lives.

Each and every participant seemed committed to the

idea of urban agriculture and identiÞ ed an activity to

implement in the shortest time possible. A time line of

two months was given after which follow-up would be

carried out. Some members decided to implement as in-

dividuals while others as joint projects within their local-

ity. Others still were headed to improving their already

existing farming enterprises. It was agreed that every

participants should be able to show some results two

months after the exposure visit.

Step 3: Elementary training courseThe members who participated in the exposure vis-

its formed the target group for the elementary training

course. The receruitment process kicked off during the

last week of May. Kuria Gathuru, Mazingira Institute

and Kilonzo Makenzie, Chairperson, Muungano

Maendeleo spearheaded the process, which included

delivering invitation letters and reviewing the level of

implementation for each of the participants. The letter

required commitment of the participants for the entire

period of the elementary training course.

The duo met with members from Starehe Constituency

at PNU hall in Huruma, as most of them reside

around the area. Those present included: Mariamu W.

1. A heap of rabbit compost used in the farm.

2 A group of youth admiring a multistorey garden during

the exposure visit.

3. A view of the garden during the dry spell. Organic farm-

ing and use of rabbit manure is the secret behind the

ever green look of the garden.

One of Wachira’s high breed rabbits.

A class session during an exposure visit to Mr. Wachira’s

urban farm in Makadara, Nairobi.

NEFSALF Bulletin August 20092

1

2

3

Continued from pg 1

Continued on pg 3


Adburahamani, Mwanaisha, Shaban Munyu, Rhoda

Gicheru, and Teresia Wanjiku.

Discussions revealed that the group had started multi-

storey gardening after the exposure visit two months

earlier. One of the women had already bought a goat

and chicken. The group reported insecurity as the ma-

jor problem as they had lost some container gardens to

some youth from the neighbouhood. They however later

decided to be placing the containers inside the house at

night and moving then outside during the day. On future

prospects, they planned to approach the local police post

for allocation of some available public land so as to ex-

pand the farming project.

In Dagoretti Constituency, Simon Omare, Anastacia

Mbithe and Rosaline Wandia met the duo at Riruta

Satellite. Anastacia had set up a multistorey garden in

a 50kg sack at her grandmother’s compound. She had

planted kales and spinach. The grandmother informed

the team that neighbours enquire about the technology.

She had in the recent past been harvesting enough veg-

etables for their household consumption.

Members from Kasarani are located in Korogocho

slum area opposite Huruma estate. Samuel Oyaro and

Margaret Atieno met the duo. Samuel, coordinator of the

members’ activities in this Constituency, showed them

their four 50 kg sack multistorey gardens and sugarcane.

They had bought 2 rabbits which they kept under poor

conditions, awaiting construction of a rabbit cage.

Twenty six members of Muungano Maendeleo were in-

vited for the training, twenty four of which managed to

attend the full training course. They consisted 11 male

and 13 female of which 9 were youth.

Course outline

The training was designed for four days—16th to 19th

June 2009, starting 9.00 am to 4.00pm. Three sessions

were taught each day: 9.00am -11.00am; 11.15am –

1.15pm; and 2.00pm – 4.00pm. A total of 13 sessions

were covered within the four days.

The course instructors were from the Ministry of

Agriculture and Ministry of Livestock, Nairobi prov-

ince and NEFSALF members who have become train-

ers. The course sessions were derived from members of

Muungano Maendeleo areas of interest as discussed dur-

ing their follow-up discussions after the three exposure

visits and the instructors who work as extension ofÞ cers

in the same environs where these members come from.

The mode of learning was participatory whereby train-

ers introduced the topics to the trainees and open discus-

trol and zoonosis); Poultry Farming (breeds and breed-

ing, housing, feeds and feeding, diseases and control

and zoonosis); and Dairy Goat Farming (breeds and

breeding, housing, feeds and feeding, diseases and con-

trol and zoonosis).

Day three was on Value Addition and Technologies

(Yoghurt making, Þ reless cooker and peanut process-

ing); Alternative Livestock (rabbits, bees and other

birds); Organic Farming, Composting; and Briquette

Production.

Day four covered Farm Records / Market Information

and Skills; Post Harvest Practices (feed conserva-

tion, mainly silage); Evaluation; and Awarding of

CertiÞ cates.

Davinder Lamba, Executive Director, Mazingira

Institute gave the introductory speech and emphasized

on value addition to Muungano Maendeleo activities.

The strategy of the program was to use peri-urban agri-

culture to provide food and generate income. He men-

tioned that John Mwangi, the guest speaker came from

a similar background to the members of Muungano but

developed capabilities and added value to his life.

Mwangi, a former trainee turned trainer in NEFSALF

gave an account of how he moved from doing nothing

to becoming an entrepreneur and a trainer. He challenged

the members to be outward looking and generate money

for themselves and the group. He mentioned that when

he was undertaking the training course at Mazingira, they

do I grow it?; and when and for who? The participants

were told that they have power of thought, of choice and

of decision. He further gave them the 4 Ps to always re-

member while thinking of enterprise selection.

Product–what goods or services.

Place--where to locate the business considering market.

Pricing–how to price the products considering competi-

tors as well as the proÞ t margin.

Promotion–ways and means of creating awareness of

the products to the market.

The session on group dynamics and communication

skills dwelt on what happens in a group situation and

how to mitigate challenges that occur in urban com-

munity groups. Millicent Mworia took the participants

through the process of group formation to conß ict man-

agement within a group. She challenged the trainees to

be good leaders since anybody can be a leader. “A good

leader learns to say what is necessary and useful”, she

lamented.

The afternoon session was on indigenous vegetable

production--land preparation, nursery establishment,

kitchen/ multi-storey gardening and pests/diseases con-

trol. Margaret Mwaura took the participants through the

session and gave them skills on how to make a multi-

storey garden, prepare a nursery bed and control pests

in the garden. She mentioned that currently, indigenous

vegetables have a niche in the market. Participants iden-

tiÞ ed them as sageti (saga), amaranth, mrenda, usuga

(black nightshade), mitoo, mchunga, derema, kansira,

(Ethiopian kale), cow pea leaves, arrowroot and pump-

kin leaves. One participant from Kasarani indicated,

“when I had no multistorey garden, life was hard for I

struggled daily to buy vegetables. Now I have enough to

eat and extra to sell from my multistorey gardens”.

Day two was on dairy cattle production-breeds / breed-

ing, housing, feeds and feeding, diseases and diseases

control and Zoonoses. Jane Mwangi took the partici-

pants through documentaries on cattle breeds, dairy

goats, zero grazing and production of napier grass. The

trainees also watched a documentary on bee keeping,

all sourced from the Agricultural Information Resource

Centre(AIRC) in Nairobi.

The Poultry farming session was handled by Priscilla

Ndegwa from the Ministry of Livestock. She thought

about breeds/breeding, housing, feeds and feeding,

diseases and diseases control and zoonoses in poultry

farming. She mentioned that in Kenya, poultry consists

of 75% indigenous chicken,14% broilers, 8% layers and

3 % other birds. Some chicken are dwarf, others crested

or have naked neck. Indigenous chicken produce yel-

low eggs, are resistant to diseases, have good meat and

produce good manure.

Exotic chicken can result to cannibalism due to idleness.

Poultry houses should be easy to clean, with adequate

sions on experiences and knowledge. Notes were issued

to the trainees at the end of each session. Practical dem-

onstrations were given on yoghurt making, compost and

silage making.

Day one sessions were: Enterprise Selection and

Planning; Group Dynamics and Social Skills,

Communication Skills/ Networking; and Indigenous

Vegetable Production (land preparation, nursery estab-

lishment, kitchen gardening, multi-storey gardening,

pest and diseases control).

Day two was on Dairy Cattle Production (breeds and

breeding, housing, feeds and feeding, diseases and con-

were asked to “go and implement”. He started compost-

ing waste and later moved to production of vegetables

and water melon on leased land. Mwangi was a victim of

post-election violence as he was evicted from Kiserian,

where he used to farm and make compost. He has now

acquired his own land and earns a living by making com-

post for sale and by imparting his business skills.

Alex Njenga, one of the trainers from the Ministry of

Agriculture asked the trainees to be selecting enterprises

that give the highest proÞ t margin. “The no proÞ t farm-

ing has let us down”, he lamented. The four major ques-

tions that one needs to ask themselves are,: what do you

want to do?; Why did you choose the enterprise?; How

Muungano Maendeleo board members with Councillor Nyabera after the training course at Mazingira Institute.

One of the class sessions: Participants keenly listen to Millicent, one of the instrucrors (right) during a topic on

communication, social skills and group dynamics during the elementary training course.


Continued from pg 2

Continued on pg 4


light and should have a footpath of kerol/dettol, savlon

or kerosene. Some common diseases of chicken are new

castle disease and coccidiosis, while common external

parasites are ß eas, louse, and mites. Internal parasites

are mainly worms and ß ukes.

The session on value addition and technologies such as

yoghurt/ mala production, Þ reless cooker and peanut

butter was handled by Jane Mwangi and Esther Njoki.

Through value addition, one increases the shelf life

of farm produce plus income. Participants were taken

through the process of yoghurt production, mala and

peanut butter. They also had a taste of the Þ nished prod-

uct (yoghurt, peanut butter, peanut powder and peanut

powder in honey.

The dairy goat farming session dwelt on breeds/breeding,

housing, feeds/feeding, diseases control and zoonoses.

The breeds include Nubian, Toggenburg Alpine and

Saanen. The Dairy Goat Association of Kenya (DGAK)

a membership organization. DGAK is a national farm-

ers’ organization with its headquarters in Nyeri, Central

Province of Kenya. It was registered in April 1994 as a

non-partisan, non-proÞ t making and non-governmental

organization. Its mission is to improve nationwide, the

household income of the small scale farmers and the

nutritional status through increasing their capabilities in

dairy goat breeding, husbandry and marketing of dairy

goats and their by-products.

Participants were shown a documentary on the dairy

goat from Agriculture Information Resource Centre.

Research has shown that goat’s milk is highly nutritious

and easier to digest than cow’s milk thus good to feed

infants. It ios also known to have medicinal value and is

widely recommended by health practitioners to manage

some health conditions.The documentary showed how

to take care of the kids, goats and housing.

The session on alternative livestock was conducted by

Priscilla. She introduced to the participants to rabbits,

bees, turkey, ostrich, quail, geese, pigeons, and guinea

fowl farming as uncommon livestock and their beneÞ ts

and the unexploited ventures.

The session on organic farming, composting and bri-

quetting of solid waste for fuel was jointly conducted

by John Mwangi and Charles Onyando, both members

of NEFSALF forum. John introduced the participants

to “kilimo hai” and “mbolea hai”. He told participants

that “waste is not waste until wasted”. He took the par-

ticipants through the theoretical and practical aspects

of compost making while Charles told the participants

about the value of briquetting of waste for fuel. He gave

them examples of groups that are now making fuel

briquettes for the local market, while in Democratic

Republic of Congo and Cameroon (where he has offered

training), the groups have already commercialized the

briquetting of waste.

The farm records / market information and skills session

dwelt on how to keep records. Participants were oriented

on how to register every activity they undertake and to

conduct market research on their products. This session

was conducted by Margaret Mwaura.

The session on feed conservation and hay making was

conducted by Jane Mwangi.Participants watched a vid-

eo documentary on how to make silage and later went

through a hands-on practical demonsration of the same.

Participants asked questions on the difference between

silage, wheat straw, hay and other grasses.

The end of training evaluation revealed that most of the

participants expected to learn more skills. Topics suggest-

ed were on organic farming, jam making and mushroom

production. Although the course time frame was de-

scribed as too short, the quality was termed as excellent

as well as proper planning. The venue and meals were

was described as right. Participants indicated that they

Muungano Maendeleo youth celebrate with Cllr. Nyabera

after completing the training course.

Trainees participate during one of the practical sessions on silage making with the guidance of an instructor.

Mrs. Ndimu demonstrates banana jam making.

Inset: The gudget used and the Þ nished product.

Beans crop at the same Ngecha farm.Terere plantation in her peri-urban farm in Ngecha.

The Ngehu’s weigh a chicken at their home ready for sale.

Cllr. Nyabere addressing the participants during the cer-

tiÞ cate awarding ceremony. On extreme left is Davinder

Lamba, NEFSALF coordinator.


Mariamu Abdul

- Starehe -

Samuel Okumu

- Kasarani -Hellen Wambui

- Dagoretti -

Zablon Anyoka

- Kasarani -

Jane Waeni

- Athi River -

Joseph Mulove

- Athi River -

Ann Mbala

- Kasarani -

Shaban Aboni

- Starehe -

Margaret Ogutu

- Kasarani -

Isaac Ondieki

- Dagoretti -Consolata Adhiambo

- Kasarani -

Simon Omare

- Dagoretti -

Boniface Kilonzo

- Makadara -

Mrs. Elly Ochieng

- Kasarani -

Rodah Gicheru

- Starehe-

Annastacia Mbithe

- Dagoretti -

Teresia Mary Wanjiku

- Starehe -

Virginia Wanjiru

- Embakasi -

Rosaline Wandia

- Dagoretti -

John Macharia-

Dagoretti -

Lilian Nyambura

- Starehe -

Francis Kyalo

- Athi River -

Mary Meguo

- Kasarani -

David Oketch

- Kasarani -

Ne

wc

om

ers

to U

PE

s

Ne

wc

om

ers

to U

PE

s

Continued from pg. 3

would beneÞ t from the course through new knowledge

and change of attitude. All indicated that they appreci-

ated the training and would share the new knowledge

gained with others members.

Councillor Ezekiel Nyabera of Kawangware Ward pre-

sented the participants with certiÞ cate of completion.

He advised them to grow adequate food to feed their

households and for income generation.

Thanks to Rooftops Canada/Abri International, a partner of Mazingira Institute, for the support to

advance the capabilities of Muungano Maendeleo.


English/ Botanical Local Names Nutritional Content

Black Night Shade Managu, Mnaru, Ojuga, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Iron,

Solanum Nigrum Isoiyot, Sucha, Lisudza Calcium and Protein.

Spider Plant Chisaks, Saka, Isakiat, Esaka, Iron, calcium, Þ bre and protein.

Cleomegynandra thageti, Chiinsaaka

Amaranthus Terere, Telele, Litoto, Mchicha, Grains rich in protein (lysin and

Amaranthus spp Chepkerte, Oodo, Tsimboka tryptophan)—essential amino acids,

deÞ cient in all other cereals.

Jews mallow Mlenda, Omutere, Apoth Vitamin A and Calcium

Corchorus olitonus

Cowpeas Thoroko, Ikhubi, Irikubi, Vitamin A, C and Calcium

Vigna unguiculata Ligesale, Kunde

Examples of indigenous vegetables

Organic farming is an alternative production sys-

tem that addresses natural and safer methods of

farming. The production avoids or largely ex-

cludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers,

pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feeds ad-

ditives. Organic farming relies on crop rotations, crop

residues, livestock manure, legumes, green manure, off-

farm organic wastes and aspects of biological pests and

diseases control to maintain soil productivity, to supply

plant nutrients and control insects, weeds and pests.

Why organic farming?Organic farming is proffered to modern conventional

agriculture which has been criticized and questioned for

the following reasons, among others:

• Damaging the soil structure

• Damaging the environment

• Creating potential healthy hazards in food

• Reducing food quality

• Economically expensive to farmers and the society

as a whole

Organic farming looks at soil as a living entity, an eco-

system containing organisms, minerals, organic matter,

water and air. Organic farming seeks to feed the soil

ecosystem other than feeding the crop. It makes full use

of natural resources that exist within the farm. However,

to ensure proper nutrients recycling, a balanced mixed

farming is mandatory.

Rotational designs for organic farmingOrganic farming focuses on properly designed crop ro-

tation for the following reasons among others: to ensure

fertile health soil; control of weeds, pests and diseases;

and to ensure crop diversity. Crop rotation should main-

tain soil fertility, soil organic matters level and structure

while ensuring that sufÞ cient nutrients are available and

that losses of nutrients are minimized.

Weed managementWeed is any plant that is adapted to man made habitats

and interferes with human activities. They compete with

crops for nutrients, space, light and water. Some are

poisonous to either animals or human beings. However,

some weeds have medicinal property, nutritional value

as well as ornamental and ecological qualities. Weed

control mechanisms should therefore not completely

eradicate them due to biological diversity and the posi-

tive beneÞ ts.

Diseases and pests controlOrganic farming controls pests and diseases by use of

natural process as well as re-establishing a natural or-

der. This involves reinstating soil fertility, providing and

preserving natural habitat, introducing plant variety and

use of natural remedies in place of agro-chemicals.

Natural remedies include:

-Supportive strategies such as hygiene, use of resistant

varieties, timely planting, proper spacing and encourag-

ing predators.

-Use of natural chemicals as a last result such as: aro-

matic plants; ash for insects; baking or washing soda;

and biological controls (revelers).

Examples of plants used to control pests and diseases

are onion, garlic, tea, pawpaw, African marigold and

wild tobacco.

Indigenous vegetablesThese are the tradition vegetable commonly used by our

fore fathers. They contain very high nutritional contents.

Unique benefits of organic farmingToday, people are rapidly embracing the vegetables after

undergoing numerous health deÞ ciencies. Doctors too

are recommending the same in order to manage various

health conditions as well as boost the body immunity.

Compared to the ‘foreign’ vegetables, the indigenous

ones do not require a lot of farm care and can grow in

harsh conditions.

Some impotrant facts on indegenous vegetables in-

clude:

- Most have the ability to grow wildely with very little

management.

- Highly adaptive to harsh environmental conditions

where they grow.

- They are resistant to most pests and diseases.

- Highly nutritious and contain medicinal properties.

- They improve the soil’s physical as well as chemical

properties.

Agriculture is increasingly becoming a risky venture

day by day due to implications related to global

warming and climate change, scarcity of land and

lack of information on how to tackle the implications. Most of

small scale farmers are subjected to skyrocketing prices of farm

inputs caused by the deteriorating global economy. Despite all

these challenges, farmers are expected to produce enough food

not just to their family consumption, but to supply a surplus for

the national basket.

80% of Kenyan population depends on the 20% food produc-

ers, who are struggling to survive the above natural and oth-

erwise challenges. There is therefore urgent need to provide

the farmers with a lot of support and respect in order for them

to produce food in an enabling environment. Information on

affordable farming technologies should be made available to

farmers that could help them become labour intensive and at

the same time introduce the same to the youth who have aban-

doned the farming business to the elderly.

Such technologies as drip irrigation and shade nets can move

farmers from being reliant on rain-fed production to a round

the year producer. Young people need to be encouraged with

technologies that will reduce hard labour and increase income.

They also require knowledge on value addition on raw mate-

rials and marketing strategies in order to generate income and

create reliable and sustainable businesses.

Scarcity of landThere is an increasing demand on land, a stagnant resource that

neither grows nor expands even as the population swells by day.

Urban farmers have been exposed to farming practices to cater

for the limited farming space available. Today and in the future,

this is not and will not be a challenge to urban farmers only,

but to the entire nation as land continues becoming a scarce re-

source. This has been caused by the culture of land inheritance

in families. Continuous subdivision of land leave families with

smaller portions of land, one generation after another.

Family should be encouraged to utilize whatever available

land to grow food for the larger family, as a food security

measure instead to futher subdividing the diminishing re-

source. The few left food producers cannot meet the increas-

ing demand for food, thus resulting to skyrocketing food

prices. Such practices as stare case, container and hanging

gardens are some of the solutions to food insecurity. Training

and education on farm planning and management is also most

necessary now, than ever in the society.

Global warming and climate changeIn the recent years, farmers have experienced changing

weather patterns—with shorter rainy seasons and prolonged

dry spells. This is caused by continuous forests destruction

and inhibition of water catchments areas in general. Landless

people are busy Þ ghting for resettlement in these same areas.

”Would they rather get settled in the forests area and live in a

desert the rest of their lives?”

In Nairobi itself, ‘land grabbers’ are busy building on wet-

lands or riparian plains. Hence mis-appropriating ecologicaly

valuable open space. Citizens need to be educated on the

value of such natural reservoirs and the consequences related

to there destruction. Where then, do we plant trees to absorb

the gas emissions in Nairobi if not in such areas? Wetlands

provide important services, such as sipping-in water into the

ground thus replenishing underground water. The vegetation

Agriculture and environment in Kenya


in wetlands grows throughout the seasons as the environmen-

tal conditions are favorable. In the absence of wetlands, the

rain water washes into the rivers and little or none sips into

the ground. Everyone needs to realize that those who destroy

the environment in order to accumulate wealth at any cost, for

themselves, are denying not only the community but also their

own children the good health and life dependent upon envi-

ronmental services. One can buy wealth but never health.

Long rains failed in the past two years and there is little or no

maize harvest as the country’s staple food. The situation has

been worsened by the displacement of key farmers in the Rift

valley province during the post-election violence. Severe wa-

ter shortages have also been experienced in Nairobi, in other

Kenya’s major towns due to low water levels at the reservoirs

Being unable to live with the water shortage, many have result-

ed to sinking bore holes, which is a temporary measure. This is

not a lasting solution since the ground water shall diminish as

long as we do not realize the need to preserve our water towers

and wetlands and realize the role they play in the ecosystem.

The Government is currently looking onto how to reposess

part of Mau forest which was massively excised in 2000-

2001. The effects of the excision are real today. Many streams

originating from the Mau escarpment have since dried up

due to human habitation and cutting down of trees. This has

further resulted to drying up or diminishing of major rivers

that support the ecosystem of the Mara area. Such include the

Mara river associated with the great migration—the tourism

sector claims that the river has narrowed and is absolutely a

walk-over compared to past years. Lake Nakuru is also en-

dangered as it is fed by tributaries originating from Mau for-

est. It is home to ß amingoes, which too is tourist site fetching

over 500M annually.


By Dr. Diana Lee-Smith

Former Regional Coordinator, Urban Harvest, an associate of

Mazingira Institute and currently a Visiting Professor, School

of Public Health, University of Toronto. She visited Growing

Power earlier this year.

February is the middle of winter in North America

and the temperatures go down to minus 20 degrees.

But believe it or not, farmers in Milwaukee, a big

industrial town in Wisconsin, can still grow vegetables

using a few simple methods that include harvesting the

heat from decaying waste that also makes good quality

compost. Inside the greenhouses at Growing Power. It

is warm and humid, full of plants as well as people who

come from all over North America to learn the methods

at special hands-on training courses.

At one weekend workshop this February, I gave a talk

about urban farming in Africa, highlighting NEFSALF

and showing the typical conditions of African urban

farming as well as talking about the training courses.

Over 50 people from groups and communities all across

the USA and some from Canada were excited to hear

about their counterparts in Nairobi and their struggles

to feed their families and how they grow crops and keep

livestock under some very hard conditions.

Pictures of the Youth Reform Self Help Group in Kibera

– taken when I visited the group back in November –

touched people with how the group coped with lack of

food and how farming helped them come through the

violent conß icts of 2008. The way the group set out its

“vision”, “mission” and “objectives” on the wall of their

small hut as well as neatly and productively managing

their group plot impressed everyone. I also gave a talk

and showed these pictures to some youth from a high

school in Milwaukee and they too were interested in the

youth groups in Kenya. Apart from being fascinated by

the different conditions and how the groups organized,

the kids from Milwaukee said “They look just like us!”

Growing Power is the brain child of

Will Allen, a professional basketball

player who had grown up on a farm

not far from Washington DC wanted

to go back to farming after retiring

from basketball. He bought up the old

greenhouses in his wife’s home town

of Milwaukee, and set about inten-

sive urban farming. Apart from mak-

help from the authorities to improve their product and

make a decent living off it.

Of course the climate conditions in Milwaukee are dif-

ferent from tropical Nairobi. We are lucky not to have

minus 20 degree temperatures in the winter. But Growing

Power is setting up Regional Training Centres across

the USA in its different climatic zones, and much can

be learned from an exchange of knowledge about how

these technologies work in different circumstances.

My personal goal for 2009 is to get the farmers I met in

Nairobi and Milwaukee talking to each other.

This is a report of the follow up site visits to some

of the groups and individuals who participated

in NEFSALF training courses on agriculture in

urban and peri-urban environs. The visits were made

by Deborah Gathu and Kuria Gathuru of Mazingira

Institute.

Vijana Youth Cleaners (VYC)This is a group of youth based at Umoja estate in

Eastlands, Nairobi. They are involved in waste collec-

tion, briquette making, carpet cleaning and fumigation.

Unfortunately, their briquette making machine which

costed the group around Kshs.16,000 was stolen and this

has put the group in disarray. They indicated that neigh-

borhood sensitization on waste separation and market-

ing of briquettes was their top priority. Restaurants have

responded well and indicated that their briquettees burn

longer compared to ordinary charcoal. Discussions held

with the group at their project site indicated several con-

straints such as lack of funding, water, insecurity and

low level of group work. While some members are in-

terested in fuel briquette making others are only inter-

ested in garbage collection. The chairperson is a mem-

ber of NEFSALF forum.

Upendo Women Group (UWG) Upendo women group in Utawala consists of women

who have the vision of changing their lives. The group

was started by 19 members but has grown to 70. Initially

a housing land buying group, Upendo has changed into

an empowerment and training group. They are members

of larger networks such as Songa Mbele Women Group

and Bright Enrichment Empowerment Programme

(BEEP). They pay 10% service charge to the umbrella

groups for book keeping services. Several of its mem-

bers are members of NEFSALF forum.

We visited Esther Njoki, the chairperson of the group.

She indicated that they have initiated value addition ac-

tivities in the group after the trainings. Apart from train-

ing and imparting skills on other women, she makes pea-

nut butter, detergents, yoghurt and preserves vegetables

using solar energy. Previously she used to keep chicken,

dairy goats and rabbits.

Mary Ndugire is a dairy farmer in Mwiki area of Kasarani

Division. She keeps one cow, turkey, dairy goats and

chicken in her small compound and grows Napier on rail

reserves. She informed us that she milks her cow 4 times

in a day, advice granted by a livestock extension ofÞ cer.

This allows room for continous production of milk in the

cow’s system. She milks 17 litres of milk a day. All the re-

cords of her farm animals were well kept and up-to-date.

Linking NEFSALF and Growing Power in USA

ing a living he wanted to show how others could too, es-

pecially in areas which many call “food deserts” where

mostly poor people, especially African Americans, live

without much access to cheap and healthy food.

Will Allen, Growing Power founder “It’s all about the soil” he says. Will ‘manufactures’

good soil from organic wastes and by putting worms to

work. He collects urban by-products such as brewer’s

wastes and mixes them in carefully controlled propor-

tions with wood chips (or other materials rich in carbon)

and food wastes. He lets these decay to make good hu-

mus and then adds the worms, who make the real quality

stuff. Growing Power’s urban farming technologies also

include recycled water feeding the plants and then run-

ning through Þ sh tanks in a closed loop farming system.

I want to know how easy it would be to adapt these tech-

nologies to the situations Nairobi urban farmers work

in. One idea is to set up an exchange between Growing

Power and Mazingira Institute so that NEFSALF farm-

ers can learn from urban farmers in the USA – and vice

versa. While I was working at Urban Harvest in Nairobi

2002 – 2005 we did studies on organic waste recycling

in urban farming in Nairobi and Nakuru and there seem

to be a lot of missed opportunities to make use of wastes

productively the way Growing Power does it. True, there

are a number of groups in slums that make compost, but

theirs is an uphill struggle against insecurity and lack of

Inside the greenhouse in Milwaukee at Growing Power. Where people come from

all over North America to learn the methods at special hands-on training courses.

Inset is a demonstration.

Containers gardening inside a Growing Power

greenhouse in Milwaukee.

A dairy cow at Ndugire’s, a NEFSALF member in Njiru, a peri-urban area of Nairobi.

The cow produces 30 litres of milk daily.


Follow up visits to NEFSALF trainees

Continued on pg. 7

Ph

oto

s: G

row

ing

Po

wer

Ph

oto

s: M

azi

ng

ira

Inst

itu

te


• Persistent fever for 4 or 5 days

• Painful or difÞ cult breathing

• Coughing up a lot of phlegm or bloody sputum

• Wheezing

• You are feeling better and then you develop a new

fever or worsening cough with sputum

• You feel very drowsy and others have difÞ culty wak-

ing you up or note you seem confused or disoriented.

Cold or Flu?

Learn the differences between inß uenza symp toms and

those of a common cold.*

How do you reduce your Risk of contracting inß uenza?

Personal Hygiene

The practice of good personal hygiene is one of the most

effec tive strategies any individual can implement to re-

duce their risk of being infected by the inß uenza virus.

Important points are:

• Cover the nose and mouth with the sleeve when

coughing or sneezing (not with the hand, as that con-

taminates the hand for touching and spreading organ-

isms further);

• Use a tissue for cleaning/blowing the nose, and dis-

pose of it after use;

• Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing, using

a tissue, or touching any surface that may have be-

come contaminated by a prior user. If using a surgi-

cal mask, dispose of it carefully after use and wash

The recent outbreaks of disease in people glob-

ally are caused by a new inß uenza (or “ß u”)

type H1N1 virus. There is a human H5N1 virus

circulating and causing seasonal inß uenza and in the

past, very occasionally, H1N1 viruses from swine have

infected humans. The speciÞ c type of the H1N1 virus

causing illness now is new or “novel” and in the cur-

rent outbreak it is clear that this virus is able to infect

humans and be passed from person to person. Although

part of the virus may have originated from pigs, there is

no evidence that the current spread of infection is com-

ing from that source.(www.scribd.com/doc/16274632/

H1N1-Flu-Booklet)

It is unfortunate that the inß uenza if being referred to

commonly as swine ß u- this has serious implication

in terms of trade and food security among pig farmers

world wide. Due to pressure from the veterinary author-

ities worldwide especially OIE there is a move to refer

to it as Mexican- North American inß uenza virus.

Currently circulating H1N1 virus is not simply a swine

inß uenza virus .The swine ß u is inappropriate as the vi-

rus is a reasortant from human, swine and poultry. Why

should the pig carry the blame?

The scientiÞ c evidence as it is currently available is that

H1N1 inß uenza virus is being transmitted amongst hu-

mans: there is no evidence of infection in pigs nor of

humans acquiring infection directly from pigs

Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person

through coughing or sneezing of people with inß uenza.

Sometimes people may become infected by touching

something with ß u viruses on it and then touching their

mouth or nose.

Seasonal inß uenza

Everyone is at risk of getting seasonal inß uenza. It

passes easily from person to person through droplets

expelled from the nose and mouth of an infected person.

These droplets can pass directly into the nose, mouth or

eyes of a person who is nearby (less than 1 meter, or 3

feet, away) or indirectly when a person touches surfaces

that droplets have fallen onto and then touches his or her

nose, mouth or eyes before washing hands. Crowded,

indoor environments may promote the chances of such

transmis sion, which may explain the increase in respira-

tory infections during the winter months.

Pandemic Inß uenza

When a pandemic occurs, everyone will be at risk, not

just frail or elderly people. Pandemic inß uenza passes

from person to person just as easily and quickly as sea-

sonal ß u. But, unlike with seasonal ß u, people will not

be immune to this new virus, so more people will be-

come infected. In addition, it is possible that even young

and healthy people who do not normally suffer compli-

cations from seasonal ß u may develop serious compli-

cations and even die in a pandemic.

It is important to know, however, that the majority of

people who will develop a ß u-like illness in a pandemic

will recover and develop immunity to the new human

virus.

Things you should know about human inß uenza virus-

es:

• They spread through infected droplets from breathing

passages.

• Droplets are expelled by talking, spitting, coughing,

sneezing.

• The droplets spread about 1 meter (3 feet) from the

infected person, either directly to other people or in-

directly through hands and other surfaces.

• The viruses can live for several hours on hard sur-

faces, or on cloth and paper.

• If healthy people touch infected hands, doorknobs,

keyboards, telephones, etc., they can infect them-

selves by touching mouths, noses or eyes.

• Sometimes the viruses can spread through the air.

• An infected person is most likely to spread the virus

when he or she has fever and a cough.

• It is possible that an infected person will spread the

virus a day before showing signs of illness.

How do you know you have inß uenza?

Seasonal Inß uenza:

• Fever

• Headache

• Aching muscles

• Exhaustion and feeling weak

• Loss of appetite

• Sore throat

• Runny or stuffy nose

• Dry cough

Pandemic Inß uenza:

While the Þ rst symptoms of pandemic inß uenza might

be similar to seasonal ß u symptoms, how the symptoms

develop will depend on the nature of the speciÞ c virus.

It is likely that most people will recover without need-

ing medical attention, but the following symptoms may

help you decide if you need to seek medical help:

• Shortness of breath while resting or doing very little

work

George Njehu attended the improvement of livestock

keeping and veterinary public health in UPEs course in

June 2008. He embarked on poultry keeping immedi-

ately after the course. He now keeps broilers and has a

small kitchen garden full of kale, and some onions..

The broiler chicken are housed in a semi permanent

structure and weighed on average 1.5kg per chicken. He

is supported by his wife and two children. He sells the

broilers to middlemen who sell to hotels and restaurants

around the city of Nairobi.

Margaret Ndimu is a small scale peri-urban farmer

in Ngecha some 15 km north of Nairobi. Ngecha and

Wangige are some of the main suppliers of fresh pro-

duce to the city of Nairobi. She grows tissue culture ba-

nanas, indigenous vegetable, irish potatoes, beans and

an assortment of crops in her shamba. She keeps two

dairy goats for milk. The milk is sold to urban house-

holds and neighbors. Some of the constraints are lack of

water, pests such as moles.

One of the most outstanding characteristic of the forum

members visited was their ability to grasp knowledge and

skills and convert them into enterprises within a span of

less than two months after the trainings. Although they

attended at different training courses at varying times,

they all talked of the skills they acquired and how ther

mind were “opened” to better reasoning than before.

One of the dairy goats at Mrs. Ndimu’s farm in the peri ur-

ban environs. She supplies goat milk in her

neighbouhood and in Nairobi Njehu’s son attends to broilers chicken at their home in Nairobi.

Influenza A (H1N1) Virus

Symptoms Cold Flu

Fever Rare Usual; high (100°F to

102°F; occasionally

higher, especially in

young children); lasts

3-4 days

Headache Rare Common

General aches, Slight Usual; often severe

pains

Fatigue, Sometimes Usual; can last up to 2-3

weakness weeks

Extreme Never Usual; especially at the

exhaustion beginning of the illness

Stuffy nose Common Sometimes

Sneezing Usual Sometimes

Sore throat Common Sometimes

Chest discomfort, Mild to Common;

cough moderate can become

hacking severe

cough


Informal discussions with course instructors revealed

that the advantages of the NEFSALF training courses is

that they are skills oriented and the method of instruc-

tion is trainee cum instructor centered.


Continued on pg. 8


Women Feeding Cities: Mainstreaming Gender in Urban

Agriculture and Food Security.

Alice Hovorka, Henk De Zeeuw and Mary Njenga (Eds.)

Published by Practical Action. 2009.

Women Feeding Cities analyses the roles of women

and men in urban food production, and through case

studies from three developing regions suggests how

women’s contribution might be maximized. In the

second part, detailed guidelines and tools show how

to bring women into the mainstream of urban agricul-

ture research and development. Providing evidence

from around the world as well as Þ eld-tested guide-

lines, women Feeding Cities is essential reading for

both policy makers, planners, researchers and practi-

tioners working on urban food programmes.

The fever is a viral disease that mostly infects ani-

mals in Eastern and Southern Africa. It is mostly

found in Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.

Domestic animals affected are: sheep, cattle, goats and

camel.

The virus engorges itself on the eggs of the Aedes mos-

quitoes well before they are laid. The eggs act as the

reservoir of the disease and can remain viable without

hatching for over ten years until favorable condition pre-

vail. Floods act as a trigger for the eggs to hatch causing

an outbreak of the Rift Valley Fever. Researchers say

that the virus has a three-seven year cycle.

Indicator symptoms in animals:- High numbers of death or sick animals.

- Increased rate of abortions.

- Low milk yields.

- Yellowing of eyes.

- Blood stained nasal discharges.

- Blood in faeces.

- Fever.

- Diarrhea.

- Body weakness.

Transmission to human beingsIt is transmitted to human beings by:

- Touching blood or body ß uids of an infected animal.

- Slaughtering or skinning infected animals.

- Touching or handling raw meat from an infected

animal.

- Drinking raw milk (un-boiled) from an infected

animal.

- A bite from a mosquito that has bitten an infected

animal.

Preventive measures:- Eating well cooked meat.

- Consuming only inspected and certiÞ ed meat by a

veterinary ofÞ cer.

- Cleaning all utensils and surfaces with soap after

handling raw meat.

- Drinking boiled or pasteurized milk.

- Stoping to milk sick animals.

Symptoms in human beings:- Headache, fever, muscle pains, backache and

vomiting.

- Neck stiffness and fear of light (photophobia).

- General weakness and dizziness.

- Weight loss.

- Vomiting blood, nose bleeding, bleeding of gum and

passing bloody stool.

Reports indicate that sometimes infections can cause

haemorrhage (severe bleeding), inß ammation of the

brain and severe eye complications.

Rift Valley Fever

Published by Mazingira InstitutePO Box 14550 Nairobi 00800 Tel: 4443219/26/29

email: [email protected] Website: www.mazinst.org

hands:

• Wash hands with soap and water (preferable) or clean

with alcohol-based hand cleaner;

• When you wash your hands, wash for at least 20 sec-

onds, making sure that all surfaces of hands and Þ n-

gers are cleaned.

• Become “touch aware”, and avoid touching surfaces

that are likely to have been touched by others (door

handles, stair railings, etc); Avoid handshaking, social

kissing, and other social rituals that involve touching

others.

• Be careful with respiratory secretions when around

other people (e.g. coughing and sneezing). If possi-

ble, avoid contact with individuals at risk (small chil-

dren or those with underlying or chronic illnesses)

until respiratory symptoms have resolved.

How do you reduce the risk of exposure during trans-

port to work?

Shared travel where passengers come within 1 meter

(3 feet) of one another.

• Vehicle occupants are advised to wear a surgical mask

while in the vehicle. Commonly touched surfaces

(door handles, driving controls, surfaces in immedi-

ate vicinity of seating) should be wiped down with a

recommended disinfectant solution before each use

of the vehicle.• All occupants should wash their hands soon after

leaving the vehicle, and avoid touching their faces during transport.

• Hands should be washed after any wipe-down proce-

dure.

From the foregoing it would appear that pork or their

products are safe for human consumption and ‘Killing’

/culling of pigs is not based on any scientiÞ c evidences

and can only take care of psychological effects.

In conclusion the risk in UPEs would not be linked to pig

keeping but to other factors like high population densi-

ties and basic hygiene issues which we documented in

earlier NEFSALF bulletins.

Prof.James . Wabacha

Department of Clinical Studies,

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,

University of Nairobi,

P.O. Box 29053-00625,

Nairobi, Kenya.

Fax: +254-020-632059

Telephone: +254-020- 630454

(OfÞ ce); +254-722-874-870(Mobile)

Email: [email protected]

Source: Pandemic ß u: things to know, things to do,

places to learn.

(www.scribd.com/doc/16274632/H1N1-Flu-Booklet)

New book


Pictures speak

Irish potato crop at Mrs. Ndimu’s farm in the peri-urban of

Nairobi Kenya.

Top & bottom: Urban agriculture at the heart of Cairo,

Egypt. A tomato plantation grown under irrigation.


Ph

oto

s: M

azi

ng

ira

Inst

itu

te

n12.pdf - Mazingira Institute

Documents

Transcript of n12.pdf - Mazingira Institute